Norway’s head coach Bjørn Johansen admitted his team had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Flying Eagles in their opening match at the FIFA U20 World Cup on Monday night.

The defeat was a tough start for the seven-time African champions, who came close to equalising but were denied by the woodwork, Footballrover reports.

Flying Eagles Start Bright but Fall Behind

The Flying Eagles almost grabbed an early lead when Kparobo Arierhi rattled the crossbar inside the first three minutes, setting the tone for a fierce contest.

However, Norway took the advantage shortly after. A VAR review spotted a handball in the Nigerian box, and Rasmus Holten stepped up to calmly convert the penalty.

The Europeans nearly doubled their lead before the break when Luca Hoyland sliced through Nigeria’s defence on a dazzling run, only for Gustav Nyheim to miss from close range.

Nigeria’s Second-Half Surge Falls Short

The second half belonged largely to the Flying Eagles, who pushed forward relentlessly in search of an equaliser.

They carved out several chances, with Tahir Maigana coming agonisingly close when his low drive struck the post.

Despite the sustained pressure, Norway held on, frustrating the Nigerians and leaving them empty-handed after a spirited display that earned applause from their fans.

Johansen’s Honest Admission

Speaking after the match, Johansen acknowledged how demanding the encounter was and credited the Nigerians for their intensity.

— “It was a thrilling match. Nigeria were on us the whole time, but we managed to use the ball a little more in the first half and could have punished them once more,” Johansen told the official website of the Norwegian Federation.

“In the second half it was a defensive game where we had to take on the opposition. We were too bad with the ball after the break because the spaces were perhaps even bigger then.

We have to tighten that up when we face Colombia, even though I don’t think they are as eager to press as Nigeria.”

Despite his team being stretched, Johansen expressed pride in their resilience.

— “It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe. It was incredibly delicious.”

The result leaves Nigeria with work to do in their remaining group games if they are to advance to the knockout stage of the U20 World Cup.

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Last Updated on October 1, 2025 8:04 am by footballrover